Don Barone Wrote:
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> Strange I thought that this was considered
> original artwork of The Ancient Egyptians ...
>

That wasn't the picture you linked, Don.


> Hey wait minute ... isn't that The Hall of Ma'at
> and isn't that where I am now ... strange it sure
> looks like there is a box under the throne in this
> image. Is this but a modern rendition to fool the public ?

These are thrones in two different contexts. The first one occurs in portraits of the gods (I see several different gods on this throne) and the sign in the small box beneath the throne is that of unified Egypt. This throne type is shown in all the "for public display, carved in temples, Official Pharaoh-Sanctioned" art that I see.

(note: I wouldn't be surprised if there were examples of "plain box" thrones. I'm just saying that after 5 minutes of crawling images that I didn't see a counterexample.)

In a smaller number of images (the few I see are designed for personal funerary equipment) the box is blank. The papyrus of Ani is one, and I've seen a stela where it was also blank (though it was not blank in images painted on the walls of the tombs of kings.) HOWEVER this blank-box funerary art is NOT designed for Pharaohs and it may indicate that the deceased was not someone who ruled.

I'm sure counterexamples to each can be found. I did see a photo of a pharaoh before Osiris in the Hall of Ma'at and the unification symbol was in the bottom corner of Osiris' chair.

-- Byrd
Moderator, Hall of Ma'at